My job is to keep Whitstable's Ryman League status, says Munday

Thursday 18th June 2009

MARK MUNDAY has set himself a target of maintain Whitstable Town’s Ryman League status at the end of his first season in charge of the club, writes Stephen McCartney.

Margate based Munday, 38, a financial advisor, is banking on keeping the Belmont Road outfit in Ryman One South, having taken over from Marc Seager last month.

Munday and his assistant Paul Lamb (who takes over from Simon Halsey, who has taken over a similar role at Kent League neighbours Herne Bay) admit to not setting their sights too high in their first managerial job together.

Munday needs no introduction to Kent football fans, having played for Margate, Ashford Town, Ramsgate, Herne Bay, Gravesend & Northfleet, Dover Athletic, Folkestone Invicta, Deal Town and his present club.

And Munday, who scored in a FA Cup first round tie against Fulham for Margate back in 1997, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he is looking forward to his new role.

“I’ve spoken to the club and the club are just looking for Ryman status, and that’s what I want to deliver,” he said.

“I can’t set my sights too high. I need to bed myself in and deliver what the club are expecting and had for the last two years.

“I’m not one to shout ‘we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that.

“I want us to be organised and be consistent and what comes from that will come from that.

“I’ve never played in the flashiest of sides, but they’ve always been consistently performing and there or there about’s - and with that level of performance it can take you where you want to be - the top regions of the league.”

Four players have opted to move from the club, but Munday say’s he has no hard feelings towards Liam Quinn (who had joined Ramsgate), Marcus Perona and James Campbell (Thamesmead Town) and the backpacking Ian Pulman.

“Ian Pulman is travelling in Australia, I believe he’s playing,” explained Munday. “I’ve just spoken to someone whose spoken to Ian out (there) and he’s playing out in Australia.

“He’s due back February/March time so to be honest with you, I’ve written Pully off for this season with regards to Whitstable, but I knew about that so that’s absolutely fine.”

He added: “All of them kept me fully abreast of what was happening and none of them are surprises. All of them go with my blessing, no hard feelings, nothing more than football reasons, which I can understand.

“A month ago I would have been in the same situation with clubs speaking to players and stuff like that.

“It’s a merry-go-round at this time of the year, but this is what happens in that respect there’s not too many out of the exit door but the ones that have gone I can fully see their reasons.”

But Munday has today unveiled his first two summer signings, bringing striker Stuart Vahid to the club from Kent League side Deal Town, and versatile defender Dan Tanner arrives from Ramsgate, a side that have been relegated into the Oystermen’s division.

Speaking about Vahid, Munday said: “With the forward situation that we’ve got at the moment we needed to get a forward in and Stuart fit’s the bill.”

And speaking about Tanner, who can play at left-back or in central defence, Munday added: “A big strong lad, I’ve known Dan for a long time, same as Stuart. Obviously the attributes he brings to us is what we’re looking for, someone whose quite domineering, likes to win lots of headers and wins lots of tackles and covers the ground quite quickly and both will be useful attributes to our already strong squad.”

When asked whether he, or his assistant Lamb, who is ready to return to action following a season long knee injury, Munday revealed the pair will only play when needed.

“We will register as players purely for emergencies, injuries and suspensions and stuff like that,” revealed Munday.

“I think with our first job is one you need to take a back seat and possibly watch in that respect. There may be occasions when I may need to include myself or maybe need to include Paul but that will be the last resort.”

When asked how many first team players his squad will have, Munday replied, “I hope to run with a very tight squad, maybe 15-16. I won’t be carrying in access of 20.

“I would imagine that 16 (plus myself and Paul) would be probably my maximum, purely because of the togetherness of the squad, baring injuries and suspensions and giving the chance to play minutes in matches will hopefully bread consistency and knowing what your team mate is going to do next to you, rather than having changes every week and pleasing a big squad.”

And Munday, who played in the top flight of non-league football for his home-town club Margate, confirmed that he will have a similar small budget as to previous manager Seager, who took the club out of the Kent League and kept the club in the Ryman League for the past two years.

“In this day and age your budget’s your budget,” said Munday. “One thing I do know with Whitstable that they are built on solid foundations and they won’t overreach if they can’t afford it and they will give me as much as they can manage.

“In today’s terms there’s lots of people talking about reduced budgets. I’m not one to talk about budgets, it’s a case of I know what I’ve got to offer players.

“The ones that are offering decent money are in the higher reaches of the Ryman Premier and maybe a little bit higher and those players aren’t in my transfer market.”

Meanwhile, whilst Whitstable Town revamp their club website at www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk fans are advised to visit www.webjam.com/norwegianoyster for the time being.